Circe's Destruction
by Aedyn Star
Summary: The untold story of Circe, the sorceress of Greek myth. The tale of her betrayal, yearning and angst at the childhood stolen away from her. Her past, her present and her heart-weary end.
1. The Beginning

A/N: This is just a little fic I decided to write. Lysander of Crete is an entirely made up character, though the name is Greek. Hope you enjoy. Rated PG-13 for, well you'll see.  
  
Circe's Destruction  
  
My island has always been a rather interesting one. The wildlife tends to be overrun with pigs. This is partly due to my bad habit with men.  
  
Let's start with Lysander, King of Crete. The sack of meal thought I belonged to him. I was young, maybe eleven or twelve. My mother was still alive. She was teaching me the finer points of sorcery. Her favorite was turning men into swine. Anyway, this King Lysander suddenly appeared shipwrecked on our shore.  
  
I had been out hunting with the golden bow Artemis had gifted to me when I was but a babe in my mother's arm. I am aware that hunting is not something considered to be done by women, but on an island with no men, I had little choice.  
  
I was going towards the shore, to wash the blood off my bow. I had managed to bring down a rather large boar, which, from my mother's hobby, had once been a man. This used to bother me, this hunting of animals that were once men, but I had gotten used to it.  
  
I was rinsing off the bow when I saw a small speck floating in the ocean. Recognizing it as a ship, I rushed to hide. Before long, the ship was on shore.  
  
It was a very fancy ship, much more so than others that had anchored on our island. It was large, and on the bow was a carved image of a siren, painted with deep greens, reds and gold. Right behind the carving stood a man.  
  
I was young, and had not yet started to be interested in men. However, you could say this one was rather attractive. He had dirty blonde hair, which hung a little long, just below his ears. He was very fit, his calves and thighs finely chiseled with muscle.  
  
He made a motion with his arms, and men came pouring out of the ship. They began scavenging around, picking up dried bits of rush and twigs. Our shores were not very wooded, though the area around our palace was thick with tall, sturdy trees.  
  
One man began shouting, in a language I could not understand. My mother and I spoke only the language of the gods. My mother was fluent in Greek, but I was still learning. If the words had not been so muffled by the steady winds, perhaps I could have understood what he said. But I couldn't.  
  
The blonde man nodded, and the one who shouted began running towards my hiding place. I shrunk down as low as possible, and he did not notice me. He kept running, straight towards the palace. I knew that was trouble.  
  
Swiftly, I began following him. Being a young goddess, and it being my home land, I could easily stay out of sight, and stay silent. He continued until the palace. Then he stopped, and stood in awe.  
  
I ran around the palace, and entered through a door only my mother and I knew was there. My mother was in her bedchamber, being dressed by two of her dark skinned maids.  
  
My mother's bedchamber is something a man can see only once in his lifetime. It had high vaulted ceilings, and gold trim around all the edges. The bed stood in the center of the room, and curtains hung around it. My mother stood in front of a full length, gold and silver rimmed mirror, admiring her image.  
  
My mother was an imposing figure. She had a perfect hourglass shape, which was enhanced by the way the golden robes fell over her hips and breast. One shoulder hung low, revealing glimpses of golden breast. She was a very imposing, sexual woman.  
  
I quickly told her there was a man standing out front. She shook her head and dismissed her maids. Making her way smoothly across the marble floors, she reached the great doors. I peered out the window, and found there were now several men outside the palace, the blonde leading the pack.  
  
Gradually the doors opened, and my mother stepped out. The reactions among the men were expected, and quite comical. One even fell to her feet and began kissing the hem of her robe. Shaking her curly auburn head, she took him by the hand and drew him up. Then she invited them in.  
  
I ran to get the honeyed wine and grapes. The honeyed wine was my mother's secret weapon, which she used to turn the men into swine, usually saving one man to enjoy before turning him into a pig.  
  
The men fell like a pack wolves of the food and wine I had brought out. All except the blonde, who stood flattering my mother first. She turned to me, and told me to bring out a separate tray for him, and I knew he was the one she would savor first. As expected, the rest of the men stumbled into the corners, and fell fast asleep. I smiled to myself, knowing when they woke, they would no longer be men, and then quickly retrieved the tray.  
  
I later discovered the blonde's name was Lysander, and he was the King of Crete. The title had no affect on me, but I could see it definitely affected my mother. Lysander ended up sharing my mother's bed for several weeks, with out her growing tired of him. She even turned the men back into men.  
  
One night, I was given the job of serving a trio of drunken men. The rest had fallen asleep, and one had passed out completely. As I was handing out the jugs of wine, one of the men pinched my butt. Shocked, I quickly turned around. I handed out the wine as fast as possible, and then quickly slipped away.  
  
I could not stay away long, before my mother noticed the lack of serving. She ordered me over, and reprimanded me. Nodding, I rushed to obey her, knowing her wrath would be far worse than anything these men could do to me. I was very wrong. 


	2. Men Are Dirty Rotten Swine

Men are Swine.  
  
The men did not try anything from then on. I think they noticed the tension between my mother and I. We had a fight over Lysander's men that night.  
  
"I don't trust these men Mother." I tried explaining to her. She simply shook her golden head, sighing.  
  
"Circe, I understand you disapprove of my hobby with men, but I am the head goddess around here." She said sternly. I hung my head in shame and left her bed chamber. I was passed by Lysander on my way out.  
  
"Pardon, young lady." She said with a grin and a wink. I shuddered, and continued walking.  
  
That night I had trouble sleeping. Aside from the moaning coming through the walls from my mother's room, I kept remembering the look on Lysander's face when I passed. It sent a shiver up my spine, and I made a mental note never to be caught alone with that man.  
  
This is exactly what happened.  
  
My mother sent for me to go hunting again, since the men drained our resources faster than we could respond. I hunted daily nearly every day, trying to provide enough for these hungry savages. Luckily, my mother had turned enough men into pigs for me to do this without depriving our stock. Besides, if we needed, she could always turn one of Lysander's men into a pig.  
  
It was that day, as I approached the shore to wash my bow, I saw Lysander. He was alone, and seemed to be repairing his ship. I wondered why he did this alone, and why he was doing it now. Did he really believe he would leave this island alive?  
  
I remembered his wink and the leering faces of his men and stumbled backward, twigs cracking loudly. He turned and came over to investigate the sound.  
  
"Hello, young lady." He said. He did not sound surprised to see me here. "On my ship I have some fresher water, if you would like to rinse your bow in regular water."  
  
Against my better judgment I agreed. Looking back, I don't know what made me agree, if it was his charming smile, or the need to rinse my bow in something other in ocean water. Probably a combination of both.  
  
Anyway, I followed him into the ship, where he led me into the basement. Along one wall was a line of barrels. He opened one, and motioned for me to use it. As I was rinsing my arrow, his hand brushed against my developing curves.  
  
I tried to ignore him, and then he gently caressed his lips against my neck. I pulled away. He pulled back and eyed me up and down, before grabbing me around the waist with his strong hands.  
  
I tried to pull away, and he eventually wrestled me to the ground. He started feverishly kissing my lips and neck. Angrily, I brought my hand up and slapped him hard across the face.  
  
He pulled away stunned. Then his features hardened, and he grabbed my throat and pushed my head against the floor.  
  
"How dare you slap me, you bitch!" he yelled in my ear. "I'll show you who is in charge." He hissed angrily. He began lifting up the hem on my skirt. I attempted to pull it back down, and he back handed me. This brought me back to the floor with a hard thump. My head hit the floor, and the world was spinning.  
  
I dimly felt his hands pry my legs open. Helpless, and too weak to put up a fight, I felt a deep searing pain enter my body as he thrust himself into me. I cried out, and he clamped my mouth shut with one hand, while continuing to plunge his manhood into my body.  
  
After what seemed like an eternity of pain, he collapsed on top of me. I rolled his body off of me, and carefully pulled my dress back down to my feet. Swiftly I got up, aching and in incredibly pain. I grabbed my bow, and limped up the stairs and out of the boat.  
  
I dragged myself into the sea, where I rinsed my self from Lysander's filth. Weak and exhausted, I practically collapsed onto shore.  
  
I managed to drag myself back to my home; after all I was a goddess. I collapsed on my bed, where I slept for at least two days.  
  
When I woke, I was sore, and my inner thighs were throbbing. I dimly remembered the horror from a few days ago, and limped to my mother's bed chamber.  
  
The palace seemed unusually quiet. I decided maybe my mother had decided to turn the men into pigs after all.  
  
Entering the room, I saw the covers pulled back. My mother lay on her golden bed spread, naked. Sticking out from her heart was a silver handled dagger that read in Greek, King of Crete.  
  
A/N: well, review! 


	3. Surprised Crew

I stood, my face to the sea. The wind whipped my hair back and I could almost see the tips of the ship sailing away that horrible day.

Life had continued. I grew, and became what my mother was. A temptress. I won't even begin to name the men whose lives I have destroyed, the men whose very souls have succumbed to my angry pain.

Early every morning I would walk along the shore, where I had scattered my mother's ashes. How I wished I had done more to punish that beast Lysander for what he had done to my mother, and what he had done to me.

In a blind act fury I had burned down the entire palace, leaving nothing but ruins. The ashes I had thrown into the sea, in memory of my mother. The one thing I had removed before burning was my mother's spell book.

Over the years I was able to create a greater palace than my mother would have ever seen, as my powers and maturity grew. Pigs still roamed the island, forgotten memories of my mother. I was a little more creative, creating lions, zebras and other exotic animals. If my island was to be overrun with animals, at least they would be enjoyed. The worst men however, remained swine.

Then there was a morning proving history would repeat itself. A ship emerged from the horizon, and I knew it was not going to be like any other. I had an urge to run and tell my mother, an urge which I repressed until anger replaced it. Men had stolen away the life of my mother, and so must I do to them.

When the ship beached, a muscled, tanned man jumped down. I had retreated to my palace, unseen, but where I could see them. His men followed a total of about 20 or so. After a day of camping on the beach, the leader sent a man up, and I allowed my palace to be seen.

I stood in the entrance of the palace, and the man gaped. He returned to his senses and came stumbling forward, asking for food and drink. I toyed with the idea of simply changing him, but decided I would give him some time.

I invited him in, and he stared amazed at the décor. I order for one of my maids to retrieve the man some grapes and wine.

The man fell at the food hungrily, devouring it all before my sight. He finished he fifth cup of wine and looked at me, with a familiar hungry look before lunging for my robe. I jumped away, but the man had grabbed the edge and ripped it away from my body, leaving me half naked.

I collected my power and began to grow, as my power infused throughout me. I had given him the animal wine, but was able to speed up the process if I wished. As I glared at him he gradually shrank and fattened, growing a snout and a curly tail.

Snorting wildly, the pig scampered around the room, before running out of the door and off the cliff.

I heard a shout and knew the other men had discovered their transformed shipmate.


	4. Meeting Odysseus

um yea, I decided to update this, just because I know I'm, probably only one more chapter left, unless my imagination runs away with me, which is completely, possible, as I am sure you all know…the rest will probably be pretty short though, sorry if I let anyone down.

I glanced over the cliff and saw the men camped around their fire, and the pig running wild in front of them. Swiftly I made my way towards the grand staircase I had built and with a flash it was destroyed, leaving nothing but a destroyed cliff. Satisfied I would be bothered no longer, I returned to my palace and went about my days as usual.

Two evenings later, a man arrived on my doorstep. How, I am not sure, but I think he climbed the cliffs to reach my palace. He was handsome man, with wind swept hair and dark, tanned skin that rippled with muscle. I invited him in, but I refused to et myself be seduced by any man.

He introduced himself as Odysseus, and asked that I give him and his men some shelter until they were able to repair there boat. Despite myself, I agreed and son my palace was once again filled with men of all shapes and sizes, all of them muscled and tan from years out at sea.

Odysseus told me his story, and I began to sympathize with him. I encouraged my maids to entertain his crew, while I entertained him. He was an amazing lover, and I felt myself fall deep with in his clutches, a feeling I had never felt before. I was falling in love.

I helped his men find new wood, and watched from the cliff as the men repaired their ship. Odysseus refused to sit by and watch his men do the work, and took as much care and put as much work into repairing the ship as his men did. I sighed with happiness watching him work. His muscles rippling beneath his skin, the way his hair would blow in the breeze, and when he returned to me, the beautiful nights we spent together.

All too soon the ship was repaired and Odysseus was ready to set sail. I begged him to stay. He didn't need to return home. He had been gone for so long, surely no one remembered him. His wife would have moved on, his son would be grown and not recognize his dad. Still Odysseus resisted my efforts to keep him here with me.

So five months after Odysseus sailed into my life, I watched him sail out of it.


	5. Final Hours

Final Hours:

The days turned to weeks and I went about my daily life. Still I felt like there was a gap, a missing piece of my heart, a piece that had been wrenched away the day Odysseus left my shores. I felt no joy in the world.

Aurora shining her gentle morning rays left me with no hope, and Poseidon and his gentle waves gave me no comfort. I was alone in the world, suffering at the fate of men. I realized how my mother had come to her downfall. A woman's heart is a fragile thing, around which a wall must be built.

I had let a man break down my wall of stone, same as my mother had. Slowly, one morning I walked to where I had buried my mother. I had planted a cypress tree over my mother's grave, in honor of her early years as a nymph. The tree had grown strong and tall, its grey branches bending forward towards the ground as though growing towards my mother.

A small grey rock was place besides her grave, and I sat upon it as I had when I was still young and facing the world by my self.

"Mother, what have I done?" I whispered quietly. Unbidden tears began to roll down my pale cheeks and I hugged my knees closer to my body, once again a 13 year old girl. So much of my childhood had been lost, my carefree years, my innocence and my mother.

I remained this way for most of the day, until the fiery colors of the sunset began to creep across the sky, darkening the island. I returned home, and retreated to my bed, trying to forget about all the animals I had walked past. The animals that used to be men.

Had I really done anything to protect myself? I had grown cold and hard before Odysseus. He made my heart melt and now look where I was. Yet still, had I not loved him, would my life be any worse.

Celene brought her silver chariot across the sky, the moonbeams shining upon my hair and face. I pursed my lips and stood, my decision made. I should not live like this, I could not live like this. Love had torn my mother from me, and I felt love should do the same for me.

I opened the top drawer of my bureau, and seven knives of different sizes glittered at me in the faint moonlight. I had not lit any lamps and planned on leaving the palace dark and alone. I caressed the daggers gently, before closing the drawer. I would not die the way my mother did. I would leave no blood.

Swiftly I grabbed my hunting bow, the one I had when I met Lysander, the king of Crete. King perhaps he was, but monster within. The hunting bow had not been used since that day, and traces of blood could still be seen stained on its surface. The blood of animals and the blood of me.

The beaches were silvery in the light, and my feet sunk slightly in the wet sand. I padded towards the surf, the rolling waves gentle and consistent. Gripping the bow in my hand I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then, my eyes closed I walked forward into the tumbling surf, and it was there I stayed.

Depressing, I know. Short too, but the whole story is now complete! Yippee! hope you enjoyed it!

love:

Faeriel


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